The private healthcare sector provides more than 50% of services in the sector with a vast array of untapped potentials for employment, entrepreneurial and overall contribution to national health development. As a result, Nigerians are dependent on viable private healthcare service providers in the face of little attention the sector has received from successive dispensations.

However, the story hasn’t been honky-dory for the private healthcare practitioners who provide 60% of health services, according to the National Health Accounts of 2008.The Private healthcare sector faces policy challenges in its Investment drive and as a result is greatly hampered to contribute more to the healthcare sector. Extant import tariffs, custom duty, double-digit interest rates, unfavorable business environment, inadequate access to sustainable sources of funding, access to land etc, are a bane for the expansion of the private sector in the healthcare industry.

As a result of the foregoing, the HFN canvasses for the following policy measures to spur private healthcare service providers:

0% custom duty on medical and pharmaceutical equipment and consumables